This invention relates to a mobile communication terminal equipment and in particular to a portable communication terminal, such as a cordless telephone, a portable radio, a portable telephone, or a personal handy phone (PHS), that can warn the user of the battery remaining quantity, antenna sensitivity degradation, calling person identification, the communication time, etc., by indication means made up of LED lamps, etc.
For the current portable communication terminal to warn the user of the battery remaining quantity, antenna sensitivity degradation, etc., as display, generally a level is displayed on an LCD section of the portable communication terminal or a warning beep is sounded.
For example, in a first related art example shown in FIG. 10 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 8-186870), a portable communication terminal main body 61 is provided on the top with an out-of-service indication LED window 71 and a battery remaining indication LED window 72. Generally, the user is warned by displaying a level on a battery remaining level meter 58 or an antenna level meter 59 in an LCD section 53 or blinking an LED through the LED window 71 or 72 in a standby mode of the portable communication terminal or sounding a warning beep from a buzzer 56 during conversation. If the user puts the portable communication terminal of the first conventional example in an inside pocket of his or her clothes as shown in FIG. 11, incoming call indication means is not attached to a position allowing the user to see it in the pocket from the top when the terminal is called, thus the user cannot easily check the incoming call.
A second conventional example not shown (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 7-99685) discloses a method of vibrating a vibrator with which a terminal is equipped during conversation, thereby warning the user, and producing a warning sound through a loudspeaker during a standby mode, thereby warning the user.
Further, a third conventional example not shown (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 63-208093) discloses a method of making the user recognize the importance of a warning based on an LED lamp, wherein the LED lamp input voltage is changed, thereby changing the light emission degree of the lamp for the terminal user to monitor it.
However, it is during conversation that the user most wants to know the fact that the battery remaining quantity of his or her portable communication terminal falls below a specified value or that antenna sensitivity degradation interferes with conversation. In the LCD method shown in the conventional example, the terminal user brings the LCD section into intimate contact with his or her head during conversation and thus cannot check various warnings displayed on the LCD.
Likewise, in the terminal shown in the first conventional example shown in FIG. 10 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 8-186870), the user cannot check a warning because the LED and LCD section are in intimate contact with his or her head. In the method of sounding a warning beep, it is feared that the warning beep may go round by a transmitter section, disturbing conversation. The user may use the terminal with the warning beep function off during conversation; if a low-voltage warning beep is sounded during conversation, the user does not become aware of the warning until he or she goes out of the range and conversation goes off.
The second conventional example (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 7-99685) discloses the method of driving a vibrator with which a terminal is equipped for warning the user as means for warning the user without hindering conversation during the conversation. However, in the method, it is feared that if the vibrator is driven when the battery is near to exhaustion, the vibrator will not be started or if started, the user will not become aware of vibration because of weak vibration. To start the vibrator, current is much consumed, promoting battery exhaustion. Further, current consumption of the vibrator causes the antenna sensitivity to be degraded during conversation.
The third conventional example (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 63-208093) proposes means for informing the user of a terminal electronic device warning by changing the light emission color of the LED lamp; as a method of changing the light emission color of the LED lamp, the light emission degree is changed by changing the input voltage to the LED. However, the change in the light emission color of the LED lamp is not noticeable and the terminal electronic device user must always monitor the light emission change of the LED lamp; this is burdensome.